I have a 1984 TA with a weeping heater core. I disconnected the core from in front of the firewall witha loop around early this summer - but now it is cold and I need to install the new one I have purchased. This evening I took off all of the lower panels, the dash, the guage console, the center console, and all of the switches connected thereto( rear defrost switch & headlights ) What I have found is that I still cannot seem to get a clear view of what I'm needing to see. Do I need to take off the plastic dash support / air router that runs from left to right across the entire passenger compartment? It seems as if I'll have to drop the steering column to facilitate this. It also looks as if the plastic support structure is riveted to the metal frame. Do I need to grind these off and re-attach them when I'm done. It looks like at one time someone took a recip saw and replaced the section over on the left by the light swith female adapters. Does anyone know how to go about this? I read through the archives...It looks like I'm making a whole lotta work out of a 3 hour job.......Frustrated in Nashville.

------------------
TA Inov8r
1984 5-Speed TA

 

just did that job 3 months ago... take out everything. this is more like an 8 hour job.
remove the following.

top pad, radio and pod, guage cluster, front speakers,ecm, center console, remove bolts from steering colum and drop that too, you can leave the upper ducts attched to the plastic dash support if u wish..you may get lucky when you unscrew the dash support from car chasis to jimmy enough room to get at heater box. one thing I can tell you is there is no cutting of rivits to get at heater core. unless GM changed dash in 1989 turbo TA

 

P.S this is good time to clean all componets of dash u would be suprised how much filth you'll find

 

This one's going to Body and Interior.

Willie

 

I went ahead and dropped the steering column - it wasn't too bad of an afternoon. I had a few harness problems on the passenger side. One bad thing, I found a rolled up license plate in the core houing - I think someone before me found a vaccum problem that wasn't fixable - the late was holding open the primary vent. I put it back in - didn't want to put the whole car back together to find out I couldn't get any heat. I also managed to break part of the housing removing the actual core on its plate - I was able to remedy the situation with a little ingenuity and homemade strapping :

All together, it took about 8 hours - my wife actually came out and helped me reinstall the dash - I think it would be impossible w/o a second person.

I also took the time to clean out all of the filth as suggested - thanks for the help!

[This message has been edited by TA Inov8r (edited November 12, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by TA Inov8r (edited November 12, 2000).]

 

Man I feel your pain. I just did mine two days ago I tryed to follow the directions in the how to do a heater core thats in the tec articales(https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/heatercore.shtml) this was help full but was not the step by step walk through I wanted. it said that you could see the damn top screw through the windsheld this was not the case for me. I think that the car that the article was based on was older then mine(As is yours) Now all i had to pull was the dash pad the pass. side speaker and all the pass side dash bolts (just for the extra space) Now i couldnt see the top bolt But I could feel it by reaching through the speaker hole, then I just removed it blind. now the core holder was a ***** for me too but with some harsh words and a few scrapes to the hands it went in. all in all it took me about 3 hours and I now have heat it was all worth it sorry that yours was such a pain in the A$$ but I would try and fix that servo problem all you have to do is pull the controle unit (above radio) and suck on each port the main feed from the motor it should be the purple one will be the only one that you dont check (i just pulled my chiltons and have the diagram for your car) Blue is for the heater/defrost servo- Red for your vents servo- Tan is the bi level servo- Orange is the recirculate servo. I used the cup end(not the plunger side) of a syringe to make it so i could suck on each one one at a time they should all hold a vacume and you should hear it suck back and thump when it closes. Now in my Diagam the only air door by the heater core is the temp controle door this one is moved by a Cable thats runs of the leaver under your mode leaver. in my car the cable is all exposed under the dash and you sould be able to do that with out puling the dash back off if your cars like mine Minus poping the cover back off to get the plate out. its not good to leave that plate in there it could punch a hole in your new heater core and then where would you be..
any way I hope this helps you out man good luck

------------------
Ya sure it is just an RS

B4Cyaa

1991 RS B4C
Former Nebraska Highway Patrol Car 1 of 3
305 TPI
WC T-5
Four Wheel Disk Brakes
Only Options
Rear Defrost
Am-Fm Radio
Red-int White-exe
One BA Of A 350 In The Works
Mods
Dynomax Cat Back (to hold me over till I got the $$$ for the Borla)
best 1/4mile Run of 14.92@94.83
with 145,000 on her

[This message has been edited by 91B4C jacob (edited November 12, 2000).]